Household Water Use Monitoring

CEO of Calliope Waterworks Inc., which has launched a device to measure and categorize household water use

She’s co-founder and CEO of Calliope Waterworks Inc., which has built a device to measure and categorize household water use — from washing machines to toilets and sinks to irrigation — then optimizes outdoor water use.

Waters contends the device, being tested at a handful of prototypes, will be able to save 10 percent to 50 percent of household water use. Wednesday night, she was the lead presenter at the Santa Cruz New Tech MeetUp, hosted by Cruzio, announcing a beta test of the device and asking the standing-room only crowd of 260 to sign up.

The Calliope device, which is installed near the main, is expected to ship in December priced at $250 with no charge for the data service.Waters, 38, a mechanical engineer, previously was chief operating officer at Vivo Technology, a startup that had plans to expand in Santa Cruz. When the London-based founder decided to expand in the United Kingdom instead, she was open to a new venture.

The inspiration for her third startup was a KQED report where she heard 18 percent of indoor water use is lost to leaks and most people overwater plants and lawns by a factor of two.

“Most people stopped watering outside but it’s not sustainable,” Waters said, observing trees are under stress. “We have enough water to water if we do it efficiently.”

She said she sees a market among homeowners and builders across the U.S., where household water use averages 365 gallons day, 175 gallons indoors and 190 gallons outdoors, especially in California, experiencing its fourth year of drought, and around the world in places with water shortages.

Her co-founders are Joel Boutrous, who was chief scientist at Vivo, and Richard Lane, who previously was vice president of engineering at Kaleidescape, a home theater company.A team of five has spent six months developing the hardware and the software.

“We’re applying predictive analysis and machine learning to water use,” said Waters. “We’ve got one patent filing in progress, and a couple more to come next year.”

The startup has been bootstrapped by the founders but Waters is looking for angel investors.

When she presented at TechCrunch Disrupt SFstartup alley last month, she got a positive reaction from Mike Butcher, editor-at-large of TechCrunch: “A laudable aim, I think, reducing water use.”

Source: SantaCruz Sentinental

Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here

Media

Taxonomy

• Treatment
• Technology
• Water Monitoring